Queen – Somebody To Love – Bridge
Somebody To Love < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘C’, ‘C7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘A7’, ‘D’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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The bridge progression is as follows:
C major (‘IV’)
C7 (‘IV7’, borrowed chord)
F major (‘bVII’, borrowed chord)
F minor (‘bVIIm’)
A7 (V of ‘V’)
D major (‘V’)
“`
[C major (‘IV’)]
[C7 (‘IV7’, borrowed chord)]
[F major (‘bVII’, borrowed chord)]
[F minor (‘bVIIm’)]
[A7 (V of ‘V’)]
[D major (‘V’)]
“`
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Similar Chord Progressions
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1. “Let It Be” by The Beatles shares a similar progression in its bridge:
C major (‘IV’)
G major (I’)
A minor (‘II’)
F major IV’)
F minor (‘IVm’)
C major (‘I’)
“`
[C major (‘IV’)]
[G major (I’)]
[A minor (‘II’)]
[F major IV’)]
[F minor (‘IVm’)]
[C major (‘I’)]
“`
2. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses also has a similar progression in its chorus:
C major (‘IV’)
A minor (VI’)
F major (‘II’)
G major (‘V’)
A major (‘VII’)
D major (bIII’)
“`
[C major (‘IV’)]
[A minor (VI’)]
[F major (‘II’)]
[G major (‘V’)]
[A major (‘VII’)]
[D major (bIII’)]
“`
3. “Creep” by Radiohead has a similar progression in its verse:
G major (I’)
B major (‘III’)
C major (‘IV’)
C minor (‘IVm’)
“`
[G major (I’)]
[B major (‘III’)]
[C major (‘IV’)]
[C minor (‘IVm’)]
“`
Musical Analysis
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The progression starts with a C major chord, which is the IV chord in the key of G major. It then moves to C7, a chord borrowed from the parallel minor key(G minor), to create tension and prepare for the transition to the next chord, F major, a borrowed bVII chord from the same parallel minor.
Next we move to F minor, a chromatic mediant relationship with the preceding F major, and also a borrowed chord (bVIIm) from G minor. This shift from major to minor is a dramatic turn that adds drama to the music.
We then encounter the A7 chords which serve the role of secondary dominants, a dominant chord of the dominant (D major), essentially creating a mini-modulation to D major. This takes us back to the home key.
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Overall Analysis
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“Somebody To Love” by Queen is a classic rock ballad in the key of G major, drawing heavily from influences of gospel music and blues progressions. Its bridge, aside from the characteristic gospel and rock elements, includes a modulating progression that is particularly interesting due to its use of borrowed chords, which adds contrast and emphasizes the emotive quality of the song.
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Style Analysis
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The use of borrowed chords and secondary dominants in Queen’s “Somebody To Love” mirrors the expressive and dramatic style of their music, a synthesis of rock with symphonic and gospel elements. The movement from the major IV to a borrowed IV7 is a typical blues move, enhancing the soulful quality of the song. Meanwhile, the progression from F major to F minor is a typical move in many gospel and R&B tunes, increasing the emotional depth of the track.
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What are the chords in: Queen – Somebody To Love – Bridge?
[‘C’, ‘C7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm’, ‘A7’, ‘D’]
